At the entrance of the martial arts school.
Cao Bin was not surprised to see Wang Jin appear. It would have been strange if Wang Jin hadn't shown up after he had brought people into Wang Jin's territory. This scene had been within his expectations.
He then bowed to Wang Jin and said, "Elder Wang! Jiang Ning's elder brother is a major criminal wanted by the court. He colluded with the Heretic God Cult, causing the recent siege against the cult to fail, resulting in heavy losses. Jiang Ning is closely related to Jiang Li by blood, so I must arrest him and bring him to justice! I ask Elder Wang to please cooperate!"
As he spoke the last sentence, Cao Bin slightly bowed, showing respect to Wang Jin.
"Get lost!!!" Wang Jin roared.
Instantly, Cao Bin's face turned pale, then red, and finally settled into an ugly expression. He had never expected that after lowering his posture and speaking so humbly, Wang Jin would respond with such blatant disrespect. This was a huge blow to his pride, especially in front of so many onlookers both inside and outside the school. It made his blood boil with anger.
At this moment, a crowd had gathered outside the school, watching the scene with great interest.
"Tsk tsk, I never thought Cao Bin, a constable captain from the Cao family, would be scolded like this by Master Wang."
"Master Wang is bold. Protecting his disciple like this makes me want to send my useless son to join the Canglang Martial Arts School."
"I feel the same way. If he's this protective, the hundred taels of silver for the apprenticeship fee would be worth it!"
"True! But then again, Wang Jin is just a martial arts schoolmaster. How dare he scold Constable Cao like that? Cao Bin is an official, and he's also the direct descendant of the Cao family!"
"Why wouldn't Wang Jin dare? I heard Wang Jin's martial arts skills are extraordinary. He's a seventh-rank expert."
"Seventh rank? That high?"
"Of course! When Wang Jin was young, he was famous throughout several counties. He earned the title of 'Five Animals Demon' because his Five Animals Fist had reached perfection, making him nearly invincible. His most famous battle was when he was at the peak of the eighth rank. He fought against three eighth-rank experts alone and killed them all!"
"That impressive? I didn't know that! If I had known earlier, I would have sent my son to join the Canglang Martial Arts School!"
"And that's not all! Wang Jin's confidence doesn't just come from his strength."
"Oh? Do you have some insider information? Please share!"
"I heard that the garrison commander outside the city, Captain Wang, is Wang Jin's younger brother his real younger brother!"
"Wow!!! No wonder Wang Jin dares to treat Constable Cao with such disrespect."
As the crowd behind him buzzed with discussions, Cao Bin's face flushed with embarrassment.
The next moment, his expression darkened. "Wang Jin! I respect you as an elder and have given you face, but you're sheltering a wanted criminal of the court. Are you trying to rebel?"
Hearing this, Wang Jin's eyes flashed with anger.
Boom
The ground beneath his feet suddenly cracked, and a gust of wind erupted as his figure shot forward like a blur.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed in shock.
This speed is incredible!!!
From where Wang Jin stood to the school's entrance was about thirty meters. But in his explosive burst, Wang Jin covered that distance in about one-third of a second roughly one second in total.
Jiang Ning quickly estimated that Wang Jin's speed was terrifyingly fast, reaching over thirty meters per second. In other words, it was equivalent to a speed of about 120 kilometers per hour.
To put it into perspective, that was comparable to the speed of a car on a highway.
Such speed alone would generate a terrifying impact force, not to mention explosive power when combined with martial techniques and internal force. And this was just his initial burst speed. His peak speed would undoubtedly be even faster!
After this comparison, Jiang Ning gained a new understanding of his master's strength. To withstand such explosive force, Wang Jin's muscles, bones, and flesh must be incredibly strong.
After all, in a fight between experts, directions and movements change constantly. To endure such explosive force without injury was something Jiang Ning found almost unbelievable. In his eyes, this was no longer something a normal human body could achieve.
This level of physical strength might even allow Wang Jin to withstand light firearms in his previous life.
And according to what Jiang Ning knew, Wang Jin was only at the seventh rank of martial arts, and he was already past his prime.
What about those at the sixth rank? The fifth rank? Grandmasters?
And what about the legendary Martial Saints, who could single-handedly challenge an entire nation?
At this moment, countless thoughts raced through Jiang Ning's mind.
On the other side, Wang Jin transformed into a furious Vajra, his eyes as wide as copper bells. His movements were like a tiger descending a mountain, his aura terrifying.
Cao Bin, intimidated by Wang Jin's presence, was momentarily stunned. In that brief moment, Wang Jin had already closed half the distance between them.
By the time Cao Bin took two steps back, Wang Jin was already in front of him.
Then, to Cao Bin's horror, as he raised his arms to block, Wang Jin's hands moved even faster than his feet.
Before Cao Bin's hands could reach his chest, Wang Jin's right hand, shaped like an eagle's claw, had already locked onto his neck. Wang Jin's fingers dug into Cao Bin's throat, lifting him off the ground.
Feeling the immense strength in those fingers, Cao Bin did not doubt that Wang Jin could crush his throat in an instant, killing him on the spot.
With his life in someone else's hands, fear flashed in Cao Bin's eyes. He didn't dare to move a muscle.
At the same time, the sound of blades being drawn echoed as the constables unsheathed their weapons, staring at Wang Jin with tense expressions.
Wang Jin's gaze swept over the crowd like a king of beasts surveying his territory.
Standing three feet away from Cao Bin, Constable Wang Desheng met Wang Jin's eyes for a moment before quickly taking half a step back and saying, "If you've beaten Cao Bin, you can't beat me! I'm just here to lend support."
The others, despite having weapons in hand and outnumbering Wang Jin, couldn't help but feel a sense of fear as Wang Jin's gaze passed over them. Especially after Wang Desheng's statement, some of them instinctively took half a step back, putting themselves behind the others.
Wang Jin smiled and turned his attention back to Cao Bin, whose face was turning red from lack of air.
"Who gave you the guts to slander me?" Wang Jin asked.
Before Cao Bin could respond, Wang Jin continued, "If you want to arrest someone on my turf, you're not qualified. Tell Cao Rong to come himself!"
Outside the school, the onlookers buzzed with excitement.
"Master Wang is bold! He flipped out without hesitation, completely disregarding the Cao family's reputation."
"Of course! That's Wang Jin, the 'Five Animals Demon.' When he was young, he was known for his fiery temper and hatred of evil. He's mellowed a bit over the years, but with his seventh-rank martial arts skills, he has every right to act this way."
"Exactly! In all of Luoshui County, there are only a handful of people who can confidently defeat the Five Animals Demon. Cao Rong, whom Wang Jin just mentioned, might be one of them."
"Cao Rong? Would something this trivial warrant Cao Rong's involvement?" someone asked in surprise. "He's a big shot in Luoshui County, a man with official honors. The Cao family's current status is largely thanks to him."
"A few years ago, Cao Rong passed the martial arts examination in Dongling City just before the age limit of thirty. It was his rise that allowed the Cao family to become one of the top three families in the county."
As the crowd outside the school continued to chatter, Wang Jin's gaze was no longer fixed on Cao Bin. Instead, he looked solemnly into the distance.
On a tall tower about a kilometer away, a man dressed in black, with his hair tied in a topknot, was drawing a bow. The arrowhead glinted coldly, firmly aimed at Wang Jin.
The moment Wang Jin saw this figure, he knew who it was.
It was Cao Rong, the man he had just mentioned.
Wang Jin's heart sank.
"This is trouble."
The moment Cao Rong appeared, Wang Jin knew things had just gotten complicated.
In the entire Cao family, Wang Jin feared no one except Cao Rong.
A few years ago, when Cao Rong became a martial scholar, he was already at the seventh rank, just like Wang Jin. Now, several years later, even if Cao Rong hadn't reached the sixth rank, he was undoubtedly no weaker than Wang Jin.
Most likely, Cao Rong had also reached the peak of the seventh rank, able to unleash 90% of his strength with every move.
Moreover, Cao Rong was more than ten years younger than Wang Jin. In martial arts, youth was an advantage. Youth meant vitality.
As the saying goes, "Fists fear the young."
Once a person grew old, their physical abilities declined, their vitality waned, and their strength not only stagnated but could even regress.
Cao Rong was now thirty-five, the peak age for most martial artists.
Wang Jin, on the other hand, was over fifty and had long passed his prime.
Fortunately, Wang Jin thought to himself, he had recently mastered the Internal Elixir Cultivation Technique, which had tempered his internal organs and strengthened his body.
Now, his physical condition was comparable to that of a forty to forty-five-year-old.
He might still be able to fight Cao Rong!
Then, he recalled the surge of internal force Jiang Ning had transmitted to him through his shoulder the overwhelming Ninefold Force.
Thinking of this, Wang Jin reaffirmed his decision.
Even if it meant breaking ties with the Cao family, he would protect Jiang Ning.
With Jiang Ning's extraordinary talent, he was worth the cost.
"Wang Jin, release my third brother!"
On the tower, Cao Rong's voice thundered like rolling thunder, reaching everyone in the martial arts school.
Hearing this voice, everyone looked up and saw Cao Rong standing on the tower, dressed in black, holding a drawn bow.
"It's him! Cao Rong!!!" someone exclaimed in shock.
Hearing this name, the crowd outside the Canglang Martial Arts School quickly scattered, retreating in all directions.
Seeing this, they knew that a fierce conflict was about to break out.
Two top experts of Luoshui County were about to clash.
As residents of the inner city, they had heard stories of such battles and knew that the aftermath could be deadly.
When experts of this level fought, even a stray piece of debris from the battlefield could kill an ordinary person.
At this moment, Wang Jin laughed heartily upon hearing Cao Rong's words.
"As you wish!"
With that, he flung Cao Bin away like a ragdoll. Cao Bin's body shot toward a stone pillar outside the school.
Boom
The pillar shattered upon impact, but Cao Bin's momentum didn't stop. His body skidded across the ground, tearing up the tiles.
Seeing this, Cao Rong's eyes turned as cold as blades.
"Wang Jin, you're asking for death!!"
He let out a soft shout.
Twang
The bowstring vibrated, and the arrow shot through the air.
In an instant, a white trail appeared behind the arrow.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning's expression turned grave.
This is a sonic boom!
The white trail behind the arrow indicated that it had broken the sound barrier, meaning the arrow's speed exceeded 360 meters per second.
Witnessing this, Jiang Ning gained a deeper understanding of the terrifying power of martial arts experts.
An arrow like this wouldn't just hit a vital point within a hundred paces, its power would be comparable to a sniper rifle from his previous life.
The white trail behind the arrow disappeared halfway, but a second later, the arrow was already in front of Wang Jin.
Seeing the arrow coming straight at him, Wang Jin shook his head and sidestepped, easily dodging it. He then stood behind a stone pillar.
Wang Jin laughed. "Cao Rong, if you want to avenge your brother, come down and fight! What's the point of using this thing to scare people?"
At this moment, Cao Rong put down his bow and leaped from the tower.
His figure descended like the wind, quickly closing the distance to Wang Jin.
When he was about three hundred meters away, he drew his bow again, the cold arrowhead firmly aimed at Wang Jin behind the stone pillar.
Locked onto by this arrow, Wang Jin felt a sense of danger.
From a kilometer away, he had no fear of Cao Rong's arrows.
At that distance, it would take a second for the arrow to reach him, and its power would have significantly diminished by then.
But at this range, things were completely different.
At three hundred meters, once the bowstring was released, the arrow would arrive before the sound.
The arrow would come first, followed by the sonic boom.
Moreover, at this distance, the arrow's speed was terrifyingly fast. It would reach Wang Jin in less than a third of a second.
With Cao Rong's strength and skill in archery, the arrow's impact force would far exceed Cao Rong's striking power.
Wang Jin didn't dare to take such an arrow head-on.
Archery experts were the most feared among martial artists.
With the right terrain and conditions, they could defeat stronger opponents.
This was what Wang Jin feared the most.
Cao Rong was a martial scholar of the Great Xia Empire. Anyone who passed the martial arts examination and earned an official title was a master of archery, as archery was a mandatory part of the exam.
The next moment, Wang Jin's eyes focused intently on the arrow speeding toward him.
Boom
The arrow struck the stone pillar, causing it to explode. The iron arrowhead continued its trajectory, still aimed at Wang Jin.
Wang Jin's body moved abruptly, narrowly avoiding the deadly arrow.
The arrow grazed Wang Jin's cheek, cutting off a few strands of hair. Even though Wang Jin's skin was as tough as copper due to his mastery of skin refinement, the arrow's shockwave still made his skin sting.
"Archery is truly terrifying!!"
"Out in the open, it puts so much pressure on me," Wang Jin thought to himself.
Then, his eyes narrowed again as he saw Cao Rong's figure rushing toward him like a blur.
Cao Rong drew his bow once more, but this time, the arrow wasn't aimed at Wang Jin.
Instead, it was firmly locked onto Jiang Ning.
Cao Rong knew the situation well.
He understood that Wang Jin's willingness to confront the Cao family was all because of Jiang Ning.
At this moment, Cao Rong didn't care why Wang Jin valued Jiang Ning so much.
All he knew was that if Wang Jin was so protective of Jiang Ning, then instead of dealing with the agile and elusive Wang Jin, he would target the person Wang Jin was trying to protect.
That person was Jiang Ning.
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